Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-30

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some parts of the world, people buy far too many clothes.

What are the reasons for this?
How can people be persuaded to reduce the number of clothes they buy?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

In the world today, people tend to purchase several clothes than they need because of the affordability of clothes and the increase in online shopping. Excessive shopping of clothes by individuals can be discouraged by implementation of tax laws on clothing industries.

One important factor that has made people buy too many garments than they require is that clothes are cheaper than it used to be in the past. This is because the raw material which is used for production of cloth is natural and free. For instance cotton garments are made from cotton plants. The producers do not spend so much in getting this cotton thereby making cotton materials easily affordable.

Also the widespread of online shopping has also contributed to the reason why people buy too many clothes. Individuals can stay at their various houses and purchase any cloth of their choice from any country of the world. They can easily compare different designs and prices of clothes from different online vendors. I remember buying two different designs of suits online because I loved the material and not necessarily because I needed the suit for any occasion or event. I have bought several outfits online because it's faster and more convenient.

To persuade people to reduce the number of clothes that they buy, the government can enact new tax laws on clothing stores for both online and offline brands. This way there will be an increase in the prices of clothes, thereby maki people only buy the outfits that are absolutely necessary. Consequently, the number of clothes people purchase would reduce.

In conclusion, individuals buy lots of clothes than necessary because of the affordability of most clothes and the widespread of online shopping. To reduce how much clothes people buy, the government can make new tax laws governing the clothing industries.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the question and maintain a clear focus: you identify affordability and online shopping as reasons, then propose taxation as a way to reduce purchases. The personal example about buying suits online helps illustrate how convenience can encourage unnecessary spending. However, some ideas are less fully developed than others. The explanation that cotton is “natural and free” is too broad to establish why clothes generally are inexpensive, and the tax proposal would benefit from explaining how higher prices might change buying habits without unfairly affecting people who need affordable clothing. Develop these points with more precise reasoning or a further practical measure.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised clearly, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two causes, a paragraph on the proposed solution, and a conclusion. The progression from reasons to a response is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “For instance,” “Also,” and “Consequently” help signal relationships between ideas. Some connections are slightly mechanical or repetitive: the online-shopping paragraph repeats “also,” while the conclusion restates the introduction without adding a final implication. You could improve the flow by varying transitions and making the relationship between each explanation and its main point more explicit. Overall, paragraphing and sequencing make the argument coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “affordability,” “garments,” “widespread,” “vendors,” and “tax laws,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “absolutely necessary.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “purchase several clothes,” “the widespread of online shopping,” and “reduce how much clothes people buy.” “Maki” appears to be a spelling or typing error, and “cloth” is used where “clothes” or “fabric” is intended. Aim for more natural combinations and check word forms and spelling; this would make the vocabulary more precise and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “because,” “thereby,” and “thereby making,” and most sentences communicate their meaning clearly. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “clothes are cheaper than it used to be” has a disagreement between the plural subject and verb, while “the raw material which is used” does not agree naturally with the plural idea that follows. The sentence beginning “To persuade people…” is understandable but would be clearer with a more direct structure. Review subject–verb agreement, articles, and singular/plural forms, and proofread longer sentences for consistency. These issues do not generally prevent understanding.

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